Pigeonpea genome decoded for domestication, disease-resistance traits

A group of international scientists, including those from India, have re-sequenced the genome of 292 pigeonpea varieties to discover important new traits such as resistance to various diseases and its insensitivity to photo-period (the duration of daylight hours required for reaching maturity)1.

The research also
traces the likely origin of the domesticated pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan or 'arhar' in Hindi) to Madhya Pradesh in
central India. The researchers say discovery of the new traits will lead to the development of higher-yielding varieties of the crop.

The nine-country sequencing project was led by Hyderabad-based India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and included researchers from Professor
Jayshankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Hyderabad, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS),
Karnataka and Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan.

“The study used re-sequencing data to
identify genomic regions impacted by domestication and breeding that have
contributed to narrowing the genetic base," says Rajeev Varshney, the project director at ICRISAT.

The study identified the
genetic origin of the crop for the first time at a DNA level and identified
genes with agronomically useful traits such as resistance to sterility mosaic
disease and fusarium wilt, and insensitivity to photoperiod. Understanding these traits at a genetic level will help accelerate pigeonpea breeding and reduce the time to develop superior varieties to 5 years from the earlier 8-10 years, Varshney adds.